Touch A Touch A Touch Me
by UncommonGround
Summary: Chloe's boundary-less friendship is taking a toll on Beca's emotions. Tonight might just send her over the edge.


At first the touches were annoying, intruding. Then she got used to them, as she and Chloe became better friends. It was just who Chloe was and Beca accepted that. She didn't recoil from the hugs anymore. She returned the pressure of Chloe's hand in her own.

But slowly, the touches became something more. They seemed to set Beca's skin on fire. And as Beca became more and more aware of the way any contact with Chloe was affecting her, the more Chloe found reasons to touch her, hold her, be near her. But Chloe was like that with everyone, so Beca didn't want to read too much into it. Maybe she was feeling this way because she wasn't used to human contact like this, having cut it off a long time ago. Maybe her senses are just readjusting to the new sensations. The problem was, Chloe really didn't have to be touching her anymore for the feelings to come up. It happened when she looked at her, when she thought about her, when Chloe smiled at her, when Chloe laughed. Her head was buzzing as she thought about what this might mean. She was leaving for LA at the end of the year, so even if Chloe reciprocated her feelings, she really can't act on them because she'll be gone soon enough. Let's not even talk about her emotional baggage. She wouldn't want to be responsible for Chloe having to take any of that on. Nope, not going to do anything about it.

If only Chloe would stop touching her. Which isn't happening.

This wasn't going to be easy.

/

"You're a funny drunk," Chloe teased, keeping her grip around Beca's waist.

Beca just groans, trying to contain her emotions, but the feel of Chloe's hands around her, squeezing gently at the top of her hip is very distracting and makes her head fuzzy in a way that has nothing to do with how much she had to drink, which really wasn't that much. Chloe being touchy-feely with her wasn't anything new, but it still set her on edge every time the redhead's soft hands came in contact with her.

She pushes Chloe away, telling her she is fine to walk on her own.

"Hah, yeah right. I'm not letting you walk back to your room, in the dark, alone, and drunk," Chloe insists, wrapping her arms around Beca again.

"I'll be fine, Chloe, I'm not even that drunk…stop, you don't need to hold on to me," she whines, trying to push Chloe off her.

"Ok ok, if you're so sure. Have at it," Chloe says letting go of Beca, but she's not ready for it, and stumbles over her own feet, falling to the ground.

"Ow," she groans.

"Still think you're fine to walk on your own?" Choe asks, as she hovers above her, hands on her hips.

"That's not fair, you let me go without warning. I wasn't ready."

"Mmhmm….whatever you say." Chloe extends her both of her hands, helping Beca back on her feet. She pulls her up, but doesn't stop when Beca is on her feet and yanks her in for a hug.

"What are you doin?" Beca says.

"Hugging you silly."

"Why?"

"Because I want to."

Beca pushes Chloe away from her. "Can you please not," she whispers.

"Are you okay?"

"I just need you to keep your distance."

Chloe steps closer to her, grabbing each of her hands. Beca clenches her teeth, exhaling slowly through her nose, not looking up into Chloe's eyes. She shivers when she feels Chloe's lips by her ear.

"But I like to be close to you."

You would think that would be enough to convince her, or at least enough to make a move. But there's a nagging in the back of her mind that is making a better, louder argument and her head and heart are pounding. She's not into you, it's just Chloe being Chloe. Plus she has that shower guy. Let it be, Beca.

"Stop!" Beca shouts, backing away from Chloe and letting go of her hands. Chloe takes a step toward her, concern on her face.

"Beca, what -"

"Chloe, stop! Why won't you just fucking listen to me? Please, just back off. I can't…"

"Can't what?" Chloe puts her hand on Beca's arm.

"Do you always have to touch me? Have you ever heard of personal boundaries?" she shouts. Chloe takes her hand off Beca, taking a step back, a concerned expression on her face.

"Beca, I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" Chloe says, unsure of how to end the sentence.

Beca takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment in attempt to calm herself down. Great, now she's hurt Chloe's feelings. She didn't mean to yell, but she can't think straight right now because all she wants to do is kiss this girl in front of her, but what if it all goes wrong and she loses Chloe as a friend? She's like the only person who keeps her sane nowadays. She can't lose the friendship. She'll just have to bury her feelings, sacrifice something that has the potential to be the best thing in her life to preserve what she can't lose. It's so infuriating. Her gut is telling her one thing which feels so right but her head is being rational, and right now she has to be just that. Or else who knows what the hell will happen.

"You make my head spin, you know that? I can't be around you like this."

"What, drunk?"

"No!" She's on the verge of spilling it all, but restrains herself a little bit. "Listen, you have Jeremy or Mark or whatever his name is…and…and…I have, me, so let's just leave it at that. You can't be like this when I feel the way I-"

Beca's hand it clapped over her mouth, eyes wide. So much for restraint.

"Feel the way you what, Beca?" Chloe asks harshly. "Feel what?"

Beca keeps her hand over her mouth, shaking her head from side to side.

"Nothing. Forget it. I gotta go," Beca says quickly, before turning and walking away. She doesn't get that far when a hand is grabbing the back of her arm, stopping her, and she's turned around, Chloe standing there with an angry look on her face.

"You do not get to just run away, Beca Mitchell! You're going to finish what you started here. Why the hell are you all mad at me right now?"

Beca swallows hard, her hands clenched in fists. She closes her eyes, attempting some sort of composure again.

"I'm not mad, can you just drop it please?"

"No I'm not going to drop it. Just spit it out!"

"Please, Chloe, I'm begging you," Beca says, almost whispering. She's looking down and sees the tips of Chloe's shoes meeting the tips of hers. She can feel the heat of her body, smell the scent that is just Chloe, hear her slow breathing. She swears she can even hear her heartbeat. She feels Chloe hesitantly take both her hands in her own.

"Beca, please…can you just talk to me? I promise whatever it is you have to say, I won't get mad or freak out or whatever it is you're afraid of. You can tell me anything."

"You can't promise that. You can't promise anything, Chloe. You might not like what I have to say."

Chloe is silent for second before responding. "Okay, fair enough. But I'd like to think you trust me enough to know I'd do anything to keep those promises."

She looks up into Chloe's eyes, hoping to find some reassurance in them. Hoping to find some resemblance of the feelings she feels for the redhead. Chloe smiles when their eyes meet. Good enough.

"It's just…I'm having a hard time holding myself back from…um…you make me feel so…uh," come on, Mitchell get it together. Chloe is looking at her with such expectancy, giving Beca just enough more courage to say the words she wants to say. "Why do you touch me so much?" Okay, not exactly what she planned to say, but that's what comes out. Chloe tilts her head to the side, her eyes still locked on Beca's. She adjusts their hands so their fingers interlock.

"I just, um, like being close to you I guess. I like the way you make me feel."

"And, uh, how do I make you feel?"

"Like I want to kiss you."

Beca lets out a sigh of relief. And then she suddenly finds herself laughing. Laughing because Chloe says the thing that was paralyzing her. She's vocalizing the thoughts that have been swimming around Beca's head for a while now. She says exactly what Beca wants to say but couldn't because all she could think about were the repercussions of saying those words out loud to her. But Chloe says it without hesitation. She says it and Beca almost doesn't believe it because she says it so casually, like it's fine to just go around and announce feelings like that. She says those words that Beca has been stewing over for weeks. They come off her lips and tongue and through her mouth like they were meant to. Like she was meant to say those words to Beca all along. And all her fears seem so absurd. And all she can do is laugh at that.

"What are you laughing at?" Chloe asks concerned. Beca just keeps laughing. Laughing at herself. But Chloe seems to think she's laughing at her.

"Beca this isn't funny," she says as tears start to form in her eyes and her hands start to release from Beca's

"Wait!" Beca says, keeping her grip on the girl's hands. She composes herself enough to explain. "I'm not laughing at you, Chloe. I'm laughing at me."

"O-kay," Chloe says cautiously, obviously still a little confused.

Beca gets a grip on herself, and steps closer to Chloe, their bodies as close as they can be without actually touching. "I'm laughing because…I've been thinking that same thing for a while now, but I've been terrified to tell you. Because I didn't want to risk anything if you didn't feel the same way. I've spent so long convincing myself that you couldn't possibly feel the same way I feel about you, and then you go and say those words to me like it's nothing. Here I was, so afraid of saying that to you. And here _you are_, telling me without hesitation. Let's just say…I've learned a little something tonight."

Chloe looks at her, speechless. Her mouth is hanging slightly open. "Oh now you're at a loss for words?" Beca teases before leaning in, closing any distance between their lips. She feels a surge of electricity through every fiber of her body as their lips move together, anxious and hungry. Chloe opens her mouth up for Beca, inhaling deeply as she takes her in, their tongues taking turns exploring each other. Beca has her hands wrapped around Chloe's waist, while the redhead has moved hers to cup each side of Beca's face. Chloe takes Beca's bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, before placing soft kisses across Beca's lips.

"I can't believe this is happening," Beca says breathlessly.

"I can," Chloe replies, bringing their lips together again. Beca's heart is pounding at the feeling of Chloe's lips on her own, the feeling of Chloe's body pressed against her body. She breaks away, leaning her forehead of Chloe's.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. Every time you touched me, all I wanted to do was jump on you and kiss you forever. Oh wow that sounded kind of weird."

"It's okay," Chloe giggles. "I get it. I'm glad I have that effect on you though. Now that we can do something about it. Shall we take this somewhere more comfortable?"

"My place or yours?"


End file.
